Help me build my fire kit.

Minnesota

Minnesota

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Apr 3, 2010
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I used some birthday money to build a fire kit to throw in my pack for hiking or camping. I used a pelican 1030 case to store my kit in. I like it, but I'm not sure If I have enough. Is there anything else you guys (or ladies) could recommend? I know about char cloth but I've heard that it loses it effectivness (true?), so I haven't put any in here yet. Here's what I have so far. Sorry for glare in pics, It's raining I can't get good light inside.


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Several feet of jute twine. I like jute twine because it works well with char cloth and magnesium and it can be used on it's own too. A bic for insta-fire in non windy conditions. A Victorinox farmer. I can saw small limbs off with it, and make curls.

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REI stormproof matches mixed with regular candle matches. REI matches are awesome! I tryed them out in the rain and they wouldn't go out. No even in a puddle. LMF scout, it throws sparks pretty well. Aluminum foil and papertowel for use with a mag block which I do not have yet, but intend on putting in my kit.

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I've also tied about 6' of 550 cord to make a bowdrill with.
 
Not a bad start, charcloth lives forever but you have to keep it dry, use a small baggie to keep it in.
Whats in the foil?
Maybe add a small magnifying glass, piece of flint and a steel..
 
The fire starting kit I used this past 4 days, deep in the Ocala NF, consisted of a baggie stuffed with a bunch of dryer lint, a pile of fat wood sticks, and a box of matches.

Worked first time, every time. ;)
 
I'd replace the Peli Case with a Trangia 210 Mess Tin which has a detachable, insulated handle and can be used to gather, store and boil water and is your emergency kettle, cookpot and mug! The lid can also be used to cook on or as a spoon or digging trowel. Use pvc electrical tape to waterproof the Tin when using it to store your kit inside.

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The Doan and/or Mini-Match magnesium firestarter and the Spark Lite Kit would be useful, as would some Vaseline impregnated cotton wool balls and a Fresnel lens.

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In the alumiunum foil I have some paper towel squares to light my magnesium on.

Dryer lint? How does this work compared to char cloth?
 
a couple of wetfires would be a good addition- these are my "absolutely have to get a fire going" tinder- they will stay fully lit for quite some time- floating on water!

I like firestraws too, take up very little room, light and PJCB is great tinder that takes a spark easily
 
My firekits are a bic or two and a ferrocerium or magbar starter.

When on a snowmobile, especially otherwise when I'm on or near ice, I carry a couple of smaller sized flares for those must get a fire started before my hands get too cold to function times.

I don't carry matches. Too much space for too little utility. I usually don't carry tinder. There's plenty of tinder available in my neck of the woods. Birch bark everywhere.
 
That's more comprehensive than mine, I just bring a zippo and an altoids tin with a couple of parafin dipped strike anywheres, a fire striker and stuff it full with PJCB and jute.
 
fatwood chunk and some vaseline soaked (not too much, just a dab) cotton balls or dental cottons, or tampons. They fluff up nicely, ctach a spark and burn aggressively
 
Tin, piece of flint, charcloth, handforged striker, small beeswax candle, magnifying glass, maybe a ferro rod from going gear with no handle, small piece of pitch (fatwood), all in a Ted Cash tobacco tin.
 
I really don't like magnesium bars for firestarting. It takes too long to make a decent pile, the pile burns off far too fast to be effective, and they are just a pain overall (solely an opinion, naturally).

My emergency firestarting gear is simple:
firesteel with striker
film canister of petroleum jelly cotton balls

My Bic is my primary firestarting method, which is always in my pocket. In the event that it's too wet or windy to use the Bic, I have the firesteel and PJCB which work when wet, and can be placed carefully to avoid the wind. I haven't had to use them, yet.

In the winter I also tend to accumulate chunks of fatwood in my pockets, which are handy for firestarting.
 
Minnesota said:
In the alumiunum foil I have some paper towel squares to light my magnesium on.

Dryer lint? How does this work compared to char cloth?
Click to expand...

Dryer lint is the bomb. Char cloth has to be made, and stored correctly. Dryer lint is available after every laundry session, ignites rapidly from spark or match, and burns hot. It is the unsung hero of fire kits across the world.
 
Mannlicher said:
ignites rapidly from spark or match, and burns hot. It is the unsung hero of fire kits across the world.
Click to expand...

I would agree with this.

We had a house fire when I was young because of this and lost everything.

It works too well. :)
 
Minnesota said:
I used a pelican 1030 case to store my kit in. I like it, but I'm not sure If I have enough. Is there anything else you guys (or ladies) could recommend?
Click to expand...
Enough? I really can't think of any more useless or redundant crap to put in there. If you actually want to start a fire, maybe a couple of trioxane tabs...but this is a joke, and you're just seeing how much crap you can stuff in that 1030, or how many comments you can get, right?
550 for a bowdrill...and waiting for one of our "survival experts" to catch it?:foot:
I haven't screwed around with a fire drill in almost 25 years, but even I know better than that.
Cool how you put the 550 cord on the case, though:thumbup:
 
I carry a few fire kits when hiking. 1 consists of a altoids gun container, 5 pj cottenballs, a piece of hacksaw blade, and a small firesteel. Another is altoids tin with pj cotten balls, fatwood, and pieces of bike inner tube, also with a mini bic. I mainly use a large firesteel, a pj cotten ball, and a bit of fat wood.
 
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